Political strategist David Axelrod will join Tribune Editorial Board member and author Clarence Page in discussion about Axelrod's new book, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics at Venue SIX10. Purchase Tickets here! Believer: My Forty Years in Politics: From New York to Chicago to the White House, Believer chronicles Axelrod’s evolution from young journalist to political strategist to senior adviser to the president. At the same time, it looks closely at the 20-year friendship with Barack Obama that ultimately took both of them from Chicago to the White House. Books will be available for purchase at the event, and a book signing will follow the discussion. David Axelrod served as senior adviser to President Barack Obama and as senior strategist in Obama’s two presidential campaigns. Today he serves as director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and as a senior political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Before entering politics in 1984, Axelrod spent eight years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, where he covered national, state and local politics. In 1981, he became the youngest political writer and columnist in the paper's history. He also served as the Tribune's City Hall bureau chief. Axelrod has supported Special Olympics and Misericordia. In 1998, he and his wife, Susan, helped found Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), which has raised over $29 million so far for scientists searching for a cure. Axelrod was born in New York City, and graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Chicago. He is married and has three children. Clarence Page is a syndicated columnist and Washington-based member of the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board. Among other awards, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1989 and lifetime achievement awards from the Chicago Headline Club, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the National Association of Black Journalists. An aspiring bass player, Page also enjoys entering stand-up comedy contests, which he tends to lose. Page lives outside Washington DC, with his wife and son.

DAVID AXELROD spent eight years as a reporter and columnist for the Chicago Tribune. As a political consultant, Axelrod has managed strategy for more than 150 local, state, and national campaigns. Axelrod served as a senior strategist to President Obama’s 2008 election campaign and his 2012 reelection, in addition to serving in the White House as a senior adviser to the president. (added from Random House)… (more)

The Test: Why Our Schools Are Obsessed with Standardized Testing-But You Don't Have to Be

Kamenetz, NPR’s leading education blogger, explores all aspects of standardized testing--where The Tests came from, their limitations and flaws, and ultimately what parents, teachers, and concerned citizens can do. She asks how to preserve space for self-directed learning and development--especially when we still want all children to hit the mark.

DAVID AXELROD spent eight years as a reporter and columnist for the Chicago Tribune. As a political consultant, Axelrod has managed strategy for more than 150 local, state, and national campaigns. Axelrod served as a senior strategist to President Obama’s 2008 election campaign and his 2012 reelection, in addition to serving in the White House as a senior adviser to the president. (added from Random House)… (more)

Chicago historian Kalmbach tells the story of the woman who gained worldwide recognition for the hundreds of miniature rooms she created with such exacting detail that they became educational tools for students of architecture and interior design. The 68 of them that she left to the Art Institute of Chicago have delighted generations of visitors for decades.

FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CASTAWAY TO HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAKER, TUNA THE CHIWEENIE HAS WON THE ADORATION OF MILLIONS. Now, this charming and unconventional pooch has his own book, filled with more than a hundred all-new photographs and witty commentary to give fans an intimate and hilarious look at the Internet’s most prized pup. Tuna’s cartoonish looks—with an exaggerated overbite, a recessed jawline, and a wrinkly neck—are truly one of a kind. And yet his quirky appearance is no match for his unique perspective on life, overcoming his proclivity for staying in bed all day to keep his eye on the (bacon-flavored) prize. Teaming up with his owner, Courtney Dasher, Tuna shares a behind-the-scenes look at his daily exploits, which include sleeping, sunbathing, wearing bow ties, playing with toys, and melting hearts.

About Tuna:

Tuna is a 4 year-old Chiweenie with an exaggerated overbite, recessed jawline and a magnificent wrinkly neck (a.k.a shrivelneck). He was rescued by Courtney Dasher in December of 2010 at a Farmers Market in LA when he was a four-month old puppy. A year into their friendship, Courtney created an Instagram account dedicated to Tuna’s photos. At the end of 2012, Tuna’s notoriety grew on Instagram when they featured a picture of him on their personal page, unbeknownst to her. He now has over a million followers on Instagram.

Courtney never anticipated the kind of response that she has received from people’s adoration for Tuna. In fact, when she created his account, she had no agenda to garner a large following, but she did recognize that Instagram could be a catalyst to bring people joy through Tuna’s pictures that showcased his cartoonish looks and his charming personality. That has proven to be true because Courtney receives countless comments and emails daily about the impact that Tuna is making on their lives. Since Tuna is the epitome of the underdog, most people advocate for him and adore him for his endearing qualities. His loyal followers embrace his physical differences, have fallen in love with his charm and connect to his message; that true beauty comes in all forms and radiates from within. Furthermore, he is an ambassador for animal rescue, since he too was once rescued, and it has become a part of Courtney’s mission to raise awareness for rescue groups through this platform.

Saltzberg is known for combining distinctive art, a lively spirit, and paper engineering to bring great joy to kids (and grown-ups, too). Now he’s launching a new series of board books about a character named Redbird, who is trying to pick his favorite color.

Food writer Eugenia Bone comes to the Book Cellar to talk about her new cookbook The Kitchen Ecosystem: Integrating Recipes to Create Delicious Meals!

Rarely does a book change the way we think about food and cooking, but in The Kitchen Ecosystem: Integrating Recipes to Create Delicious Meals Eugenia Bone sets out to do just that with a new way of looking at the food you buy, prepare, and discard, and understanding why it tastes the way it does. In this book you will find 400 interconnected recipes that create a perpetual pantry: each dish draws on elements from a previous one and provides the building blocks for another. For example, with this week’s apple bounty, make Baked Apples with Bread Pudding. And while you’re coring apples and have your pots out, put up some applesauce to have with potato pancakes in a few months. And—here’s the rub—save the apple juice from cooking all those apples to have apple granita next week. This synchronicity is a Kitchen Ecosystem. The more homemade components you use in your cooking—the better tasting your food will be, regardless of the recipe. This is the secret to delicious food.

The Kitchen Ecosystem is a new approach to shopping and cooking. Eugenia Bone’s 400 recipes derived from 40 common ingredients—from apples and asparagus to fish and zucchini—maximize each stage of their life cycle: fresh, preserved, leftovers, and the parts we usually throw away.

Just about everything, it turns out, can be transformed into a preserve, stock, marinade, syrup, zest, jam, jelly, pickle, or condiment that can be used in or with other recipes. The yield? Food that is more delicious and prepared with less effort—and a pantry and refrigerator that are always stocked with fresh flavor boosters.

Eugenia Bone is a long time food writer, author of four books (the fifth comes out in September), an Italian cook, mushroom hunter , master canner, and all-around bloated pleasure seeker. Eugenia is the author of the critically acclaimed Mycophilia and the category staple and James Beard–nominated Well-Preserved. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, New York, and Harper’s Bazaar, among many other publications. She is married to architect Kevin Bone with whom she has two grown children, and live and write and cook in a loft in SoHo that Kevin moved into in 1978, when it had nothing but six urinals. She grew up in a food environment as her dad, Ed Giobbi, is an accomplished Italian cook and cookbook author. He and her mom hung out with a gang of chefs who were influential in their day, and Eugenia learned a lot from observing them. "Indeed, those chefs shaped my attitude about food: to use everything, to taste constantly, and to be grateful for every mouthful."- Eugenia Bone

Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It

Goodman, a global security advisor and Chair for Policy, Law, and Ethics at Silicon Valley’s Singularity University, speaks on the subject of “Cybercrime and the Digital Dystopia.” His new book (above) takes readers into the dark side of technological innovation and the unintended consequences of our connected world.

Marc Goodman has spent a career in law enforcement, including work as Futurist with the FBI, Senior Advisor to Interpol and street police officer. As the founder of the Future Crimes Institute and chair for Policy, Law & Ethics at Singularity University, he has continued to investigate the intriguing, often terrifying intersection of science and crime, uncovering nascent threats and combating the darker side of technology. (added from Random House)… (more)

Carol Cassella, MD, is a practicing anesthesiologist, novelist, and speaker. She majored in English Literature at Duke University and attended Baylor College of Medicine. She is the bestselling author of the novels Oxygen and Healer, both published by Simon & Schuster. Carol lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with her husband and two sets of twins. Visit the author at CarolCassella.com. (added from Simon & Schuster)… (more)

The Liars Ball: The Extraordinary Saga of How One Building Broke the World’s Toughest Tycoons

Bestselling author and former Vanity Fair contributing editor joins Chicago’s Sam Zell in a program titled “Tall Stories: Myth and Reality in Commercial Real Estate.” Ms. Ward’s book presents the often-scandalous picture of the real estate wheelers and dealers who owned the New York skyline until their many of their empires crumbled in the 2008 financial crisis.

JULIA TANG PETERS Pivot points: Five Decisions Every Successful Leader Must Make

Moderated by Michael Verde, authors Dee and Peters will discuss their journeys of personal growth. Dee has been recognized by the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame and served as director of community relations at WGNTV. Peters served as managing director at the Leo Burnett Company and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Verde is founder and president of Reading for Life and founder of Memory Bridge.

Carol Cassella, MD, is a practicing anesthesiologist, novelist, and speaker. She majored in English Literature at Duke University and attended Baylor College of Medicine. She is the bestselling author of the novels Oxygen and Healer, both published by Simon & Schuster. Carol lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with her husband and two sets of twins. Visit the author at CarolCassella.com. (added from Simon & Schuster)… (more)

Washington Post journalist Schulte’s new book explores the misguided beliefs and real stresses that have made leisure feel like a thing of the past and how we can find time for it in the present. A great read, it’s enlivened by personal anecdotes, humor, and hope.

Blue Stars brings to life the realities of the modern day home front: how to get through the daily challenges of motherhood and holding down a job while bearing the stress and uncertainty of war, when everything can change in an instant. It tells the story of Ellen, a Midwestern literature professor, who is drawn into the Iraq war when her legal ward Michael enlists as a Marine; and of Lacey, a proud Army wife who struggles to pay the bills and keep things going for her son while her husband is also deployed. Ellen and Lacey cope with the fear and stress of a loved one at war while trying to get by in a society that often ignores or misunderstands what war means to women today.

When Michael and Eddie are injured, Ellen and Lacey’s lives become intertwined in Walter Reed Army Hospital, where each woman must live while caring for her wounded soldier. They form an alliance and an unlikely friendship, while helping each other survive the dislocated world of the army hospital. Whether that means fighting for proper care for their men, sharing a six-pack, or coping with irrevocable loss, Ellen and Lacey pool their strengths to make it through. In the end, both women are changed, not only by the war and its fallout, but by each other.

An exploration of the bonds of family and the limits of fidelity, Blue Stars tells the story of life on the home front in the twenty-first century.

“As vivid as a news flash, Tedrowe’s riveting new novel explores the shatteringly personal cost of politics...Blue Stars is as dazzling as it is important.”

--Caroline Leavitt, author of Pictures of You

“A strikingly nuanced portrait of military family life...If you’ve ever wondered what happens when wounded service members return, read this book.”

--Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men Are Gone

Emily Gray Tedrowe is a Chicago-based writer whose second novel, Blue Stars, will be available from St. Martin’s Press in February 2015. Her first novel Commuters was named a Best New Paperback by Entertainment Weekly, an IndieNext Notable pick, and a Target Breakout Book. Her short fiction has been published in the Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Journal, Fifty-Two Stories, and Other Voices. Recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Literary Award, she has also received fellowships from the Ragdale Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.